With Democrats Like These Who Needs Republicans

(Jellyfish: Exactly the same amount of vertebrae as the Democratic Party)

I can’t really write about the FISA events of the day without getting in a rage, but if you don’t know what happened today, if you don’t know that the 4th Amendment has been gutted and that the Congress has just sent a message to the Executive branch that operating above the law is just peachy-keen with them, then you need to read Glenn Greenwald’s coverage:

UPDATE III: This article from Dow Jones, celebrating that the telecom industry is completely off the hook as a result of this bill, has the full quote from Sen. Bond, which is even better (h/t C_O):
“I’m not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I’m sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do,” Bond said.

Even when the Government is wrong, even when it orders you to do something illegal, your role is not to question but to obey. That’s what he is saying explicitly.
When Democrats took over the Congress, they issued a document vowing to “end the ‘dead of night’ special interest provisions that turn bills into special-interest giveaways” and proclaimed: “Lawmakers must have the opportunity to read every bill before they vote on it. It’s common sense.”

Today, the House leadership has set aside a grand total of one hour to debate the FISA/amnesty bill, and gave its members less than 24 hours from the time it was released yesterday until they have to vote on it today. That’s the same bill which the NYT this morning calls “the most significant revision of surveillance law in 30 years.” They’re going to enact massive changes to our spying laws without having the slightest idea what they’re voting on. All they know is that the President demanded this, and that’s enough, because — as Kit Bond says — “when the government tells you to do something, I’m sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do.” In this formulation, “the government” means “The President.”

I know I shouldn’t be nearly as stunned as I am, that the Democrats are spineless saps that talk a good game and never seem to live up to their own rhetoric and ideals, or that those in power are inherently interested in covering their own asses and accumulating more and more power . . .